Swordsman's Heart
by AliothGrenwahl
Summary: Luffy wants to make sure that he has no regrets before entering the Grand Line. Things do not go as planned. Adventure starts on island named Cone-Zone! Rating will go up later. Oh yeah, M/M ahoy!
1. Chapter 1

The relative calmness on the Going Merry was welcome after the recent chaos in Logue Town. Of course there were Luffy's crazy stunts and the usual insanity during dinner times but it was normal for the crew now. Right now it was unusually quiet. Luffy was sitting on his own "special seat" and stared intensely at a crumpled piece of paper on his hands.

"Hey Luffy, what are you so focused on?" asked Usopp and tried to catch a glimpse of what the captain was looking at. Luffy bounced up and smiled widely.

"Let's gather everyone up! I have an announcement to make!"

In few moments all of the nakama were on the deck. Luffy hopped on the rail and faced his curious audience with a determined look.

"Crew! We have sailed together trough many dangerous waters. We will face even more extreme situations when we reach the Grand Line. I know that even if people say that sea is impossible to conquer we will make it somehow! But when I enter the Grand Line, I don't want to have any regrets, so just in case..." He dug the same paper he had been studying before from his pocket and held it out for everyone to see.

"...we are following this map to the world's biggest ice cream factory!"

"Eeeeh!?" Nami's shriek rose above the others. "The world's biggest what?"

"Ice cream factory." Luffy grinned. "Isn't it--"  
"--Awesome!" Usopp shouted and cheered. "Ice cream! Yah~hoo!"

"What are you a bunch of kids...?" Sanji muttered but couldn't help but smirk as their captain and sniper started to dance and sang something about ice cream.

"Give me that map!" Nami snatched the paper from Luffy and inspected it.

"Luffy! What the hell! Where did you get this thing!" She yelled and smacked the strawhat on the head and shoved the 'map' which was more like a 5-year-old's drawing in his face.  
"Some in kid in Logue Town told me about the place and he drew me a map so I could get there."

Nami sighed and looked at the paper. Apparently their would be destination was shaped like a giant ice cream sundae and the island was shaped like a famous talk show host's hair.

"Luffy. This is probably just a thing made up by that kid."

"Is the place called Cone-Zone?" asked Sanji. Nami took another look at the nearly un-intelligible scribbles.

"Yeah... I think that's what's written here, but it also looks like 'Coca-Cola'."

"It exists. Wait a moment I wanna show you something." The cook disappear inside for a moment and came back carrying a folder. He opened it and flipped through the papers inside.  
"It should be somewhere here I have all kinds of ads and pamphlets in this thing... Ah, there." He picked up a sheet.

"Cone-Zone - The world's largest ice cream producer with the most diverse collection of flavours and best quality." he read aloud and then passed the sheet on. It was a simple poster with some info about the company and an announcement at the bottom reminding people about a contest.

"What is this contest stuff? Ice cream eating contest?" asked Luffy hopefully. Sanji grinned and picked a new cigarette and lighted it.

"Nah, a decoration contest held every year. The one who makes the most impressive looking ice cream sundae wins - of course the taste counts too - but it's all about creativity." he explained. "It's going to be held again in few days I think... The prize is one and a half million beli."

"One and a half million beli!?" Nami's jaw dropped. "Sanji! You're entering! I'll go look for the coordinates!" Nami sprinted to go through her maps managing to step on a sleeping swordsman. Zoro yelped and shouted curses after the girl before looking weirdly at Sanji who was prancing through a deck in an euphoric state swearing that he would make his Nami-swan the most beautiful sundae ever seen.  
"Yay! We're going to Ice cream-Zone!" Laughed Luffy.  
"What the hell is going on here..." Zoro mumbled becoming even more upset about being woken up.

"You were asleep the whole time? If someone's making an announcement you should listen moss-head!"  
"What announcement are you talking about stupid cook?"

"Oh, yeah, we were so busy to gather people that we didn't realize we should wake him up when we saw he was already here." Usopp said  
"You dumbasses!" The cook barked and then skipped to the galley wondering aloud what kind of decorations Nami would prefer.

Zoro scratched his head and yawned. "So, what's up?"  
"Sanji is going to decorate ice cream." Luffy answered.  
"What, here?"  
"In the ice cream place. We're going there now."  
"Huh?"  
"He's going to get lotsa beli."  
"Uhhuh..."

"'Cause he's gonna win the contest."

"What contest?"

"The ice cream contest."

"The ice cream eating contest?"

"Nope, no eating. Just making it pretty."

"That's stupid."  
"I don't get it either but there has to be some ice cream we can eat too so it's all good!"

Zoro nodded, satisfied with the explanation. He guessed that he could do some training now that he was awake. His stomach growled miserably.  
_ 'On second thought, maybe after dinner...'_

Luffy's stomach wailed too.  
"Oh man I'm so hungryyy... Oi Sanji! Food!" he shouted and ran the kitchen - only to get a painful kick in his guts which sent him flying.  
"Dinner's going to be ready soon enough! Now stay the hell out until that!"

"I'm going to starve to death!" Luffy whined and stood up.

"You're not going to die." Zoro stated "He's going to be ready in less than thirty minutes. Just find something to do in the meanwhile."

Luffy sighed mournfully and held his stomach.

"You're impossible." The swordsman grinned and sat down enjoying the warmth and the sun. He began to take his shirt off but halted when the scar on his chest sparked up a memory of it's origin.

_'This is ridiculous, you're afraid to take your shirt off because of one bloody scar_._'_ Zoro thought with annoyance. It was true - he was afraid, ashamed even. The scar was a reminder of his helplessness back then. He had felt this kind of frustration in his duels with Kuina. Well, you could only go up when you hit the bottom. He would make Kuina's dream come true.

Kuina's dream...? He had become obsessed in chasing it. Yes it was his dream too but somewhere along the way it had become a grave quest for some kind of retribution. He found himself still to be very angry sometimes. It had been an accident - there was none he could place blame on.

"Zoroo~ooo! Food!" Without a warning Luffy smashed into him and started dragging him into the kitchen.

"Oi, oi! Understood already! Let go of me Luffy!"  
"You're too slow!"

A while later Zoro found himself to be in need of a clean shirt. The dinner had turned into a food fight after Luffy had tried to steal Nami's portion of the meat. Zoro's shirt was now stained with gravy. Delicious gravy if he might add. The dart-brow could cook even if he was an idiot. He headed to the men's quarters, pulled his white shirt off and grabbed a black T-shirt. He couldn't help but to let his gaze fall on his chest.

He stood still for a moment and the carefully traced his fingers along the scar's line. He lifted his head and stared absently at the wall, lost in thought. He had marked him. A punk who came out of nowhere and got defeated by a couple of moves by his hands. Hawk-Eyes... When would he be ready to challenge that man? To surpass him and his sword... what will it take?

Two days passed by. The morning of the current date promised a weather as clear and warm as the previous ones. Nami was hopeful that they would reach Cone-Zone by the evening. They agreed that they would drop anchor near the island and go ashore the next morning. Luffy was restless and kept asking if they were there yet the whole day, which agitated Nami, and Nami's agitation agitated Sanji and Sanji's agitation, well, a lot of people got hurt.

Zoro had escaped to the crow's-nest and relished the peaceful atmosphere above the chaotic deck. He wanted to fall asleep but he knew the others would kill him if he did that and missed their destination. Finally after couple of hours he could see a distant dot in the horizon.  
"Hey! I think I see it!" he yelled.

"Really?" Luffy stretched his arms and grabbed the rail of the crow's-nest and launched himself up. "I see it too! Wohoo! We're almost there!"

"Well it seems like the island itself is normal but the huge factory is shaped like an ice cream!" Nami said, looking through a spyglass.

"Let me see!" Luffy jumped up and down excitedly as Nami passed him the spyglass.  
"Whoa! It looks so cool! I can't wait to get there!"

"Thank goodness we made it on time, the competition starts tomorrow." the navigator said.  
"Can I go take a nap now?" Zoro piped in from above.

"Nap! I wanna take one too! But I'm too excited!" Luffy laughed.  
"I can see that..." Zoro said as he returned to the deck. The swordsman was efficient in putting his plan of napping to practice. He quickly found a suitable spot on the deck and crossing his arms behind his head snoozed off like he couldn't care less about the world.

He might have seemed like he had nothing on his mind but Sanji had slight suspicions about that. Zoro wasn't the type to stare gloomily at a wall with a mournful look in his eyes. Yet the cook had been a witness to the very scene he had seen a couple of days ago in the men's quarters. It was quite scary in fact. He suspected it had something to do with how easily Hawk-Eyes had beaten him. It was weird seeing Zoro acting so very... not like Zoro, but Marimo's business was Marimo's business and he didn't want to get sliced and diced for being too curious. Not like the moss-head could beat him. He would totally kick the swordsman's ass. The blond just watched from afar as the green haired man laid against the railing and rested his hand on his chest.

------------

"I'm here. Mind telling me what your 'emergency' is?" Amber eyes stared down at the red head seated on one of the tables in a surprisingly comfy inn considering his position.

"Yo! Hawk-Eyes, grab a spoon from somewhere and dig in!" Shanks grinned and motioned at the rather large bowl of ice cream before him.

"I'll pass."

"Really, saying no to ice cream? What kind of heartless bastard are you?"

"You know exactly what kind. Did you actually have information to share or did you just invite me over for ice cream?"

"...Well."

"...Oh Hell No."


	2. Chapter 2

A thing that I forgot to make clear; This story will later contain M/M, or yaoi, or slash, or whatever you like to call it. But that will be then.

Shanks smiled sheepishly at the swordsman, who stared down at him coldly eyes shadowed by the brim of his hat.

"You did not just call me here from the other side of the damn sea to have ice cream with you..." Mihawk narrowed his eyes at the red head pirate and crossed his arms over his chest which was covered by a black shirt. Over the shirt he had a dark gray jacket instead of the usual long black one. His appearance was missing the six foot sword on his back.

"Ice cream is fundamental! But no I didn't call you here solely for its deliciousness. I do have something to tell you." Shanks shoved a spoonful of pink ice cream in his mouth and continued "You need a rival." he stated like he had invented cure for cancer.

"...I see."

"I've got just the guy for you."

"Not duelling you."

"Not me it's-"

"Or the freaky fish guy."

"Don't dis the fish! It's not him either."

"Then who is it pray tell me."

Despite the dark haired man's evident lack of interest Shanks grinned smugly.

"Roronoa Zoro!" he exclaimed proudly.

"..."

"Ro-ro-no-"

"I heard you."

"Then give a reaction dammit! So, I've only heard some rumours about him. He's totally a rookie but I heard he went and took on a pretty big fish a while ago."

"Yes, Roronoa. Good potential. Fought him already."

"What! Too fast!"

"You're too slow. Since when you have been authorized to choose my rivals anyway? Now that I still remember, I saw your hat back then."

"Luffy!"

"... Bless you?"

"No! It's his name, Luffy."

"You named your hat?"

"Geez! Do they take your brains when you become a shichibukai? The boy who has the hat is named Luffy."

"It appears that Roronoa is part of his crew."

"Really? Luffy has his own crew... kids grow up so fast..." Shanks leaned on his arm and a fond smile spread on his face. So Luffy had a guy who had apparently had enough guts to challenge Juraquille Mihawk travelling the seas with him? Very promising. He began to wonder what the rest of Luffy's crew was like. He knew the kid's nature and it was sure that he would have a bunch of great nakama by now.

"I'll leave you to your emotionality if that was all." The swordsman turned to leave.

"You still haven't had any ice cream!"

"You are a dumbass Red-Haired Shanks." Mihawk stated dully and stepped out closing the door after him.

"What! Oi come back here you stupid..." the red head dashed after him slammed the door open and stormed out to the street. The shichibukai was nowhere to be seen.

"Damn that guy. How does he do it?" Shanks wondered and went back inside. From behind the closing door a very squished shichibukai slumped on the ground with a bleeding bruise on the back of his head.

Oblivious to the near knock out he had managed Shanks returned to his seat and ice cream. Roronoa Zoro, Shanks didn't know much about him besides that he used three katanas and people called him the pirate hunter. The pirate captain was excited. Mihawk was definitely curious. A wide grin crept on his face. Mihawk was a jaded man - no words of praise were to be expected to come from his mouth. He would often make a harsh comment when talking about a challenger but not now. Hawk-Eyes was anxious for a rematch.

Maybe he wouldn't need to bother the swordsman so much anymore if he would have someone else to share the job with - though he doubted that he could resist the temptation. He had far too much fun trying to gauge a reaction from the other man. Benn kept telling him that he should cut it out, since a captain with a self-destructive hobby wasn't generally such a good thing, but Shanks just wanted to see the faint spark of feeling in Mihawk's eyes when he tormented him.

Those eyes - the eyes which could make the strongest men falter with a single look - there was no fire in them anymore. That kind of eyes were meant to be alight with the breath of passion. The first time he had seen them they had been brilliant blazing gems. Now they were frozen gold. Another layer of ice had crept there when Shanks' arm was lost. The red head now tried to do what he was no longer able to do physically in other ways but it just wasn't enough. Shanks could get him to drink. He could also get him to frown. There were times he could make him smile. Certainly times when he could piss him off. Still he couldn't get him fired up. Maybe a worthy rival could freshen up the other man's spirit.

-

The man in question had meanwhile peeled himself off the street surface and after a brief displeased glare in the inn's direction began walking away, with every intention to get as far away from Shanks as possible. Mihawk took a turn to a small alley, wanting to go as unnoticed as possible. The back of his head was hurting and he was contemplating what action to take regarding the injury when he registered someone observing him.

Ahead him were two figures. A man and a woman. Marines. They did not seem particularly interesting to him, although the young lady seemed to carry a low grade named blade. The white haired man met his gaze.

"What business does a shichibukai have here, I wonder..." he said, clenching two cigars between his teeth. The woman locked her alarmed eyes on the stranger.

"Shi-shichibukai...!?" Her hand travelled instinctively on the hilt of her sword.

"My business is my own." Mihawk stated dryly.

"Isn't it bad for a swordsman to be walking around without his sword?"The man said, undoubtedly referring to the absence of his distinguishable Kokutou Yoru.

The swordsman cocked his eyebrow and swung his hand back, unsheathing a hidden plain blade. When looked upon very closely the blade carried a delicate inscription, however quite unreadable from afar. With a graceful move he flicked the blade to point at the burly marine.

"I have not come here to fight. I do not wish to attract attention but if you so wish I shall aquaint you with this sword very intimately."

"...That won't be necessary." The marine said.

"Taisa, this person...he is..."

"Yeah. Hawk-Eyes, Juraquille Mihawk." He grabbed a wanted poster from the hands of his subordinate.

"Question; This Strawhat seem familiar to you, warlord? I hear you have a knack for knowing things." The poster had a picture of a familiar smiling youth with an even more familiar strawhat on his head. He looked disgustingly like Shanks in that photograph.

"You could say that. Why so?"

"Monkey D. Luffy and his crew - including Pirate Hunter Zoro - made a mess at Logue Town." said the young lady with glasses, gingerly speaking Zoro's name. "They are a potential threat. Just a short time ago they defeated Arlong and left his base in shambles. We believe that they might make a stop here and we have a good chance to capture the Strawhat."

"Roronoa... Already like that, even with the wound?" Mihawk mused aloud thoughtfully, processing the information.

"Wound?" The young officer's eyes widened.

"Did I go too easy on the kid? He was almost in two pieces... Well, it doesn't really matter." The swordsman sheathed his weapon and walked past the two marines.

"Smoker taisa, could it be that they fought him?"

"And were left alive? Don't be ridiculous Tashigi." Smoker frowned. He wasn't that sure of his words, but if the strawhats would have attacked the warlord their bodies could have just as well been put into coffins through a blender.

His thought were interrupted by two ensigns running towards them.

"Taisa! We have reports about suspicious events at the harbour." Two ensigns rushed towards them. "Several people have heard a noise they described to have sounded like and explosion. It has most likely come from somewhere along the coastline. It might be linked to the Strawhat."

Mihawk frowned overhearing the news. As he turned around a corner he couldn't help but wonder what the marines wanted with Shanks' hat.

"You were at the harbour this morning. Did you hear that noise?" asked one of the marine ensigns from the other as they hurried to inform the others of Smoker's orders.

"Yeah I definitely heard something. Didn't sound like a ship cannon or a gun but it was a booming sound."

-

The ensigns' conversation caused brief awkwardness in a group of five that passed by. The Strawhats had had another chaotic morning. Zoro was trailing after the others on the city streets. He would have liked to sleep a little more but it couldn't be helped.

The day had bound to be horrible from the start. The breakfast had exploded. That's right. All of the delicious warm food had been splattered on the kitchen walls. And on Sanji, which was delightful, but not enough to make up for the crappy leftovers they had to eat. It was all Usopp's fault. He just had had to juggle with his weird ammunition. One had fallen into the frying pan and caused massive destruction. The idiot-cook had of course been furious and the rest of the crew was now banned from the kitchen while he was preparing food.

Zoro grunted and lifted his eyes of to ground to glare at the blond's back but to his surprise he couldn't see any of his nakama.

"Eh? Where did everyone go?" he scratched the back of his head. Well they had been headed for the central plaza next to the huge ice cream shaped building. He decided to go straight to left since the building was in that direction. Soon he found himself to be wandering in a maze of empty alleys. It soon began to feel like walking in a ghost town. Everyone must have gone to see the stupid ice cream competition. Zoro stopped for a moment when he came across a bigger street. Tall buildings towered over him and blocked his view. He couldn't tell which way to go. He was getting seriously pissed.

Another figure emerged from a small alleyway, stopping just before he reached the street upon seeing the green haired man's form. Mihawk cocked his head slightly. Roronoa? It really was him. There weren't many people carrying three swords around. His curiosity aroused, the master swordsman observed the young man. The youth was just standing there, looking around him with a rather unhappy look on his face. A smirk appeared on the dark haired man's lips. Lost?

"Shitty cook! I don't know how but this is your fault somehow!" Zoro spat. He did not notice that he was no longer alone on the street.

"Roronoa Zoro! You are under arrest!" Tashigi shouted out as soon as she recognized the man. She was backed up by a bunch of other marines.

'You've got to be kidding me! Out of all things to happen why does it have to be this?" Zoro thought and quickly weighed his options. If that Smoker guy was here too it was really dangerous. He should probably get to the others as soon as possible, after getting Tashigi off his back… Running away wasn't his thing but the others needed to know about this. So, he braced himself and started running, hoping that he would somehow find the rest of the crew.

The marines were persistent. He tried to lose them by turning again and again and he was getting sick of it. There also seemed to be more of them now. Maybe there was some profit after all - the others might be safer now that the marines were focused on him. The swordsman stopped as he noticed that he was suddenly facing a dead end. He was now on some kind of inner court. He could hear the marines' footsteps coming closer and closer. Where to now?

"Hey, you! Come over here!" a voice called from an open ground level window. Zoro looked at the owner of the voice with a frown. It was a young woman.

"Drag your ass here already! Come on!" Zoro was suspicious but still jumped in through the window. The woman closed it and drew a set of curtains to block the view. A moment later Zoro's pursuers arrived in the court.

"He must have entered the building! Secure all exits, inform Sergeant-Major Tashigi!"

The whole block would soon be swarming with marines. Zoro grunted in annoyance and took a better look at the other person in the room. The woman was wearing a scarf over her light hair and… a towel. After staring stupidly at her for few seconds and processing the information that there was a half naked woman in front of him he turned around, his back now facing the other.

"…so, uh, what's up with saving me?"

"Turn around and face me while talking to me you pansy! You never seen a woman before?" the towel clad one said and crossed her arms as the swordsman turned to face her.

"As for saving you I owe you one. You've helped my lil' bro a lot haven't you, Zoro-aniki? I'm Trud. Johnny's sister." she explained.

"Eh? How did you know who I am?"

"How couldn't I? He kept going on about how cool Zoro-aniki was the whole time when he last visited." Trud grinned. "You seem to have some unwanted attention. We have to do something about that don't we? If I could find you a disguise… That's right! None will ever notice a thing! You'll pose as one of the staff!"

"Staff?" For some reason Zoro was getting really worried.

"Yep. I work at 'The Dan Green' inn which is in this same building complex. You'll be hiding in plain sight! I'm a genius, you see who taught Johnny his mad skills now, ne?"


	3. Chapter 3

Hawk-Eyes had come to the conclusion that it was best to cave in and find a place where he could rest and see what would become of his head injury. Once he had been arrogant enough to ignore one. Needless to say the consequences had not been...nice. At all. It had involved involuntary close proximity co-existence with Shanks for an inhumane period of time, until he had recovered. He took a turn to a bigger street where he assumed he could find a decent inn.

Not long after he came to a place which had a pretty good air about it - for pirate standards that was. You could actually see the floor of the place instead of an indistinct plane of filth. Now to hope that he wouldn't have to endure any overly social drunken patrons. Mihawk was pleased to see that there weren't too many people present, there was a big event going on on the island after all. There were marines with a wanted poster discussing with a man who he presumed to be the owner though. He sat to a table at comfortable distance from the other present customers and waved at a barmaid.

"Hello sir! Welcome! What can I getcha?" The young woman smiled at him and walked away in a chipper manner after taking his order. Some young men were appreciating the view the barmaid's outfit with it's short skirt offered quite obviously. In a moment she returned with a pint.  
"Here's your malt sir. Are you alright though if I may ask sir?" She asked, having noted the specks f blood on his hand he had gotten from feeling the injury.  
"Just a knock on the head."

"Want sum ice for it?"  
"Certainly if you have some to spare."

"I'll be back in a flash sir!" she disappeared to the back room.

A roar of laughter erupted from the bar soon after and Mihawk turned to see what the commotion was about.

"Well yer a perky lil' one aincha?" A big hog of a man was laughing, shaking like a jelly, while a rather dismayed looking barmaid stood in a robust stance in front of him arms crossed. The man tried to give a slap on her bottom but she evaded to offensive appendage in a surprisingly...martial manner and glared a thousand daggers at him. The woman who had served him emerged from the back room and pulled the other back. Shoving the bundle she was holding to the angry girl she pointed her at his direction.  
"Sorry Desusa! She's new, it's her first day and she's nervous!" she said to the man and bowed.  
"Oh doncha worry gal I like a real woman with guts like that! Guhaha!"

The woman seemed to choke for a bit, it almost looked like she was stifling a laughter.

"Ok, Mister D!"

The angry one was emitting a black hole like aura as she walked up to him and held the ice with a towel wrapped around it to him, all the while glaring at the laughing man. Mihawk helpfully took the bundle from the preoccupied girl and pressed it to his head on one hand and leaned on the table with the other, obscuring the view of his face from the barmaid. He sighed contently as the coolness eased the throbbing on his head. He sneaked a look at the barmaid who was probably trying to make looks that could kill into a reality. For some reason she seemed familiar to him. There was something off about her but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.

As he passed time just sitting and drinking peacefully Mihawk began to feel much better. The nauseous feeling disappeared. Thankfully there hadn't been a lot of bleeding but getting banged on the head with a door by Shanks wasn't fun. Ah, there the angry newbie barmaid was again... The strangest tingling started to take over him as his eyes travelled up the muscular legs. Her body was healthy and attractive, there was power in the muscles under the tanned skin and it intrigued him. She walked tall but kept her face down. He tried to discreetly catch a glimpse at her features when she walked past but her hair hid her from him. If he could only remember why the form radiated such a familiar and tempting aura!

The grandfather clock in the inn kept pushing it's hands forward. A bunch of marines emerged from a door, probably having just come down from the upper floors. Mihawk stared at the group and deduced that they were probably looking for some poor sod on the wrong side of the law. His intriguing little barmaid seemed to be slightly nervous when the group passed her by. She relaxed slightly when they headed out after talking with the innkeeper. She sighed and adjusted her wig which had moved back a bit and revealed a tiny tuft of green hair... A WIG!

Mihawk could only stare at her, paralysed by astonishment. It had been a long while since anything had come to him completely out of nowhere like this. It wasn't possible. He was suffering from a head injury so he was probably hallucinating... but... why would he hallucinate about Roronoa Zoro in a barmaid outfit! The more he looked at the person the clearer it became to him. By all things holy it indeed was Roronoa. Then those marines must have been looking for him. Had he hid here to escape his pursuers from before? Why as a barmaid?

This was the worst shit Zoro had ever let himself to be dragged into. Absolute worst. Being slashed by Hawk-Eyes Mihawk? Oh that was nothing! Next time Sanji would threaten to present him the true meaning of pain he'd make the idiot cook wear a corset. This was hell. Some of the patrons had even tried to come on to him! And he could swear that one sleaze bag had knocked his pint over on purpose to try making Zoro into a wet shirt show! There wouldn't have been much to show off besides the rags Trud had amplified his bosom with! Thank god the marines were leaving, maybe he could get out of this place and more importantly out of this outfit now. He met Trud in the back room.

"I thought they'd never leave! Bloody hell... Are they all gone for good?" he said

"I think so, I'm worried that they'll send patrols to the fair. You said your friends were going to be there right?  
"Yeah. I should probably get changed and head out."

"Aw but you look cute in that!"

"The Hell I do!"

Zoro changed in Trud's room. Taking the corset off was surprisingly complicated and it took a while until Zoro was back in his own very comfortable and functional and manly clothes. He would appreciate them in a whole different level from now on. The whole time in the bar he had a feeling that he was being watched. He had dismissed it as paranoia of a man trying to pose as a woman. Trud accompanied him to the courtyard and hugged him before setting him on the right direction.

"Say hi to Johnny from me if you see him! I promise I won't tell anyone of your little experimentation here!" she shouted after him. Zoro smirked as he walked away. That had been a nice little adventure - ignoring the cross dressing issue. Now he would have to find the others and warn them about Smoker. Then again knowing his companions they were probably in trouble already. Zoro scratched his neck and grunted. He felt like there were tiny ants crawling on his skin. He couldn't shake off the feeling that he was being watched. It was kinda creepy because the whole damn place was like a ghost town since everyone has gone to see the ice cream competition or whatever.

The young swordsman didn't suspect that he was being followed. Hawk-Eyes was watching him from the rooftops. The boy seemed to be fine. There wasn't any noticeable difficulty in his movements which might have been caused by the wound on his chest. It must have healed by now. If he had judged anything right about the young mans character, Roronoa was probably training hard already. The shichibukai frowned. He wasn't sure if the boy could achieve the goal he had set for himself if he continued this way. He did have to admire his determination.

"_Don't rush to you death, young man..._" the swordman thought before disappearing into the labyrith of empty streets.

Zoro managed to follow his rescuer's direction right and soon he found himself at a square packed up with people. He noticed marines gathering around the place and searching the jolly crowd.

"Zoro!" a voice called to him. It was Usopp.

"Where are the others? Smoker is here, I ran into him."

"What? We're going to get in big trouble is he finds us! Nami and Sanji are waiting for the results of the competition and Luffy's probably somewhere where there is food or ice cream..."

"We have to find them now!" Zoro said and slipped into the crowd. They found Luffy soon enough at an ice cream buffet.

"Yo, Zoro! Where've you been?" The young captain said happily. "The ice cream is awesome! You gotta try some!"

"No time for that Luffy, Zoro said that the Smoker guy and the sword girl are here!" Usopp said worriedly.

"Eh? Uncle Smokey is here? Does he like ice cream too?" Luffy laughed "I knew that I liked the guy for a reason!"

"Stop joking around! We gotta get to Nami and Sanji. They know that Zoro is here so there are marines all over the place now." Usopp grabbed Luffy and started dragging him to the direction where he remembered seeing Nami and Sanji earlier.


End file.
